American Go E-Journal » U.S. Go Congress

The first day of this year’s US Go Congress on Sunday featured the first round of the US Open — in which 253 players participated — and Rounds 1 and 2 of the US Open Masters, in which 26 top players, including nine professionals this year, are playing for over $7,000 in cash prizes. Click here for the Masters crosstab. Defending Masters champion Mark Lee is off to a good start, notching successive wins over Calvin Sun and Michael Chen.

Go players also had plenty of other activities to choose from during the day, including lectures and simuls with professional go players like Mingjiu Jiang 7P, who was operating on just a few hours of sleep after arriving late Saturday night and then playing in the first round of the Masters Sunday morning (and would go on to play in the second round after lecturing all afternoon).

The 13×13 tournament was held Sunday night; we’ll post results on that and on Saturday’s 9×9 tournament as soon as we get them. Redmond Cup games were also held today; watch a report on those results soon as well.

The E-Journal’s expanded coverage proved a great success as Andrew Jackson anchored live video streams and game commentary on the AGA’s YouTube channel. As usual the EJ team broadcast top-board games on KGS along with pro game commentaries, and photos and updates were posted on the AGA’s Twitter feed — follow us @theaga (#gocongress #congress2015) — and Facebook throughout the day.

Live coverage begins Monday at 9a (CST) on KGS and Facebook.

- report/photo by Chris Garlock

NOTE: email us at journal@usgo.org if there’s anything in particular at the Congress you’d like to see included in our coverage.

Hundreds of go players from around the world — including the first-ever delegation from Cuba — gathered Saturday on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St Paul, Minnesota for the 31st annual US Go Congress. Old friends reunited and new ones were made across the go boards that spilled out of the main playing room into the student center’s atrium (photo).

The US Open/Masters tournament begins on Sunday; play is scheduled to begin at 9a (CST); top boards will be broadcast live on KGS (look for usgo accounts) and pro commentary by Jennie Shen will begin at 10a. Other highlights of the Sunday schedule include a live Haylee go match; click here for the complete schedule.

With this year’s US Go Congress just a few short days away, organizers have released the Congress Handbook so that attendees can begin planning to make the most of their time at the biggest go event of the year.

The Handbook provides information about the Congress venue – including maps – and the many events that make of the Go Congress, including rated tournaments like the US Open, Die Hard, and Self-Paired, and unrated events like the Lightning Tournament, 13×13 and 9×9 tournaments. In all, ten tournaments are scheduled, along with events with professionals – including simuls and lectures – and youth activities and tournaments.

Also covered in the Handbook are Day Off options, transportation, nearby restaurants and official go rules and guidelines, as well as bios and photos of all the visiting professional players.

“The chapter putting on this Congress so ably and devotedly, the Twin Cities Go Club, have been stalwart friends, players and teachers over the last 10 years,” says AGA president Andy Okun in his welcome, “Please join me in giving them gratitude during this rewarding week of play.”

Uncovering the link between go and education Go is a game, a hobby, a profession. It’s a competition, it’s a communication tool and it’s a way of life. But what happens when go enters home and school as an educational tool? Xinming Simon Guo, founder of the Go and Math Academy in Chicago, Illinois, will explore go’s impact in his keynote remarks at this year’s US Go Congress opening ceremonies this Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota. “Imagine an era in which every student has opportunities to learn math through go and fall in love with both of them,” says Guo.

Seattle will benefit from the upcoming U.S. Go Congress in St. Paul, even though it is 1700 miles away, as visitors stop by before and after the August 1-9 event. Ryo Maeda 6P and Koyo Hoshikawa 3P from the Kansai Ki-in of Japan will visit the Seattle Go Center on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 28 and 29. They will play simultaneous games on Tuesday, and Maeda Sensei will give one of his famous lectures for kyu players on Wednesday evening.

The weekend after the Go Congress, August 15 and 16, Myungwan Kim 9P will conduct a workshop for strong players. He will be assisted by Mark Lee, winner of the U.S. Open in 2014. The workshop will feature simultaneous games with the two teachers, game analysis of student games, analysis of top games from the U.S. Go Congress, and lessons on the Korean style opening.

The next weekend, August 22 and 23, Inseong Hwang of the on-line Go school the “American Yunguseng Dojang“, will teach a workshop for players 15 kyu and stronger. It will include games between workshop participants, game analysis and lectures. Mr. Hwang says he often explains moves both at the 6-7 kyu level and also at the 1-2 dan level, since that is where people get stuck. Mr. Hwang is the highest rated Go player in Europe (EGF). He will also attend the US Go Congress on his trip.- photo and report by Brian Allen

NOVA Go Club organizer, Garrett Smith (left), also known as PopPop, reports that he is engaged in extensive preparation for the 2015 U.S. Go Congress next month. He hopes to see a big turnout August 1-9 in St. Paul, MN. If you’re going to the Go Congress too — and some 350 are already signed up — let us know how you’re preparing for the biggest go event in the country! Email your reports and/or photos to us at journal@usgo.org

The US Open Master’s Division will again be a 9-round event with a top prize of $5,000. This section is open to all professionals and 7 Dan players. Additionally, players below 7-dan who earned points in AGA qualifier tournaments will be
eligible to compete in this section. As was done last year, the top three North American finishers in this section will get prizes with a top award of $2,000.

The regular 6-round event will continue as before, open to everyone. Players who qualify for the Master’s Division but do not wish to play 9 games can sign up for the 6-round Open event instead. However, there is no crossover between sections once play begins, and players in the Master’s Division are expected to commit to play the full 9 rounds. Jon Boley is the Tournament Director for the Master’s Division this year.photo: top-board action at the 2014 US Open Masters Division; photo by Chris Garlock

The American Go E-Journal has a few openings on its US Go Congress team. Anyone interested in helping record/broadcast top-board games at the US Open should email journal@usgo.org. Prior experience is useful but not absolutely necessary. You must be available either mornings (Sun-Sat) or evenings (Sunday, Tuesday, or Friday). “This is a terrific opportunity to get an up—close look at top-board games at a major tournament and be a part of the team bringing this event to the world,” says E-Journal Managing Editor Chris Garlock. “Plus, it’ll improve your own go!”

Tennis Alert: Tennis players be sure to pack your racquets, as there are courts available at this year’s Congress site and E-Journal editor Chris Garlock will be organizing games throughout the week. Email journal@usgo.org if interested in participating.photo: The EJ’s Dennis Wheeler records a 2014 US Open Masters game; photo by Chris Garlock

“The AGA’s official Youtube channel has been revamped in advance of the upcoming 2015 US Go Congress, and we’d like to re-introduce it to members with a pair go match between a few well known YouTube go players” says Jackson, the American Go Association’s VP of Operations. “Hajin will also be recording her comments for her 100th video on her channel, so this should be quite a celebratory evening”

The game will be broadcast live on the AGA Youtube channel, and “all the video content from the 2015 US Go Congress will be posted there, so please subscribe!” urges Jackson. More details on the format can be found in Jackson’s announcement video.

Word comes to the E-Journal of two last minute changes in the ranks of the professionals visiting the US Go Congress in Minneapolis-St. Paul. One is that the Korea Amateur Baduk Association will be sending Cho Hyeyeon 9p, a star player and active promoter of the game. Cho, who also attended the 2008 Congress in Portland, works, teaches and plays tirelessly, among other ventures running a go club at the US Army base at Yongsan in Seoul. Meanwhile, difficulties of making last minute travel arrangements have caused the Taiwan Chiyuan to substitute Ms. Tang Hsi Yun 2p, also known as Debbie Tang, for the earlier announced Wang Yuanjun 7p. Like Cho, Tang speaks English. She has been pro since 2004 and taught at the European Go Congress in 2012.Update (7/21): The spelling of Ms. Tang’s name has been corrected.